Joachim Coens News

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics has signed a concession agreement with the Port of Zeebrugge to develop 49 hectares of land known as the Bastenaken West property located in the inner port. With this concession, in place until 2043, the company will nearly double its terminal footprint. WWL will invest about USD 20 million during the next two to three years. “The agreement marks the next step in WWL’s long-term commitment to the Port of Zeebrugge, the largest RoRo port in the world, and positions the company for continued growth and expansion all across Northern Europe,” says Ray Fitzgerald,President & COO WWL Landbased. Since beginning its relationship with the Port of Zeebrugge in 1999…

Since it started publishing in 1939, Maritime Reporter & Engineering News has recognized excellence in ship construction. United European Car Carriers (UECC), which is jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines, held a naming ceremony for the M/V Auto Eco, a s historic ship in that it is the first of two dual fuel LNG PCTCs with 1A Super Finnish/Swedish ice class. The world’s first dual fuel LNG PCTC M/V Auto Eco had her formal naming ceremony at the Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium on November 21, 2016.

United European Car Carriers (UECC), daughter company of Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines, signed a contract in 2014 for the construction of two dual fuel LNG Pure Car and Truck Carriers. The first vessel, de ms AUTO ECO, left the shipyard in China in September and arrived in November in Zeebrugge. On November  21, the ms AUTO ECO was christened at the terminal of International Car Operators (ICO) in the Zeebrugge inner port. The godmother of the ship is Claire Tillekaerts, CEO of Flanders Investment & Trade.

On her maiden voyage in the AEX1 service, China Shipping Container Lines’ containership CSCL Globe, currently the world’s largest container vessel, moored at Belgium's Port of Zeebrugge after embarking on its first voyage in China last December. The CSCL Globe, which measures 400 meters in length and approximately 59 meters wide, features a maximum capacity of 19,100 TEUs. Lining the containers up in a row would result in a container chain of 115 kilometers. The continuously growing dimensions in shipping allow freight to be transported more economically.

While on her maiden voyage in the AEX1 service, the container vessel China Shipping Container Lines Globe, currently the world’s - or the “globe’s”- largest container vessel, moored at the port of Zeebrugge. The ship embarked on its first voyage in China last December. The CSCL Globe measures 400 meters in length and is approximately 59 meters wide. Its stunning maximum capacity is 19.100 twenty feet equivalent units. Lining the containers up in a row would result in a container chain of 115 kilometers. The Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea will be delivering four sister vessels in the course of the year. The continuously growing dimensions in shipping allow freight to be transported more economically.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Antwerp Port Authority, Port of Rotterdam and Port of Zeebrugge participated in a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering focus group discussion on 14 and 17 October, held in conjunction with the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) 2014. Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA, said, “As an alternative fuel, the shipping industry is looking to LNG as a cleaner marine fuel to meet international regulations. Given the international nature of shipping, we are excited to work with the Antwerp Port Authority, Port of Rotterdam and Port of Zeebrugge, to harmonise the global LNG bunkering standards.

Claimed by the Port of Zeebrugge to be the world's first LNG fuelled tugboat, the M/T Borgoy was refuelled recently in the Belgian coastal port in a tanker truck to ship (TTS) operation. The Port informs that this tugboat emits nearly 30 percent less CO2 and up to 90 percent less NOx and fine dust than conventionally-powered tugs. She is the first of two identical tug boats ordered by the Norwegian BUBE (Buksér og Berging AS) and was constructed in the Sanmar shipyard in Turkey.

Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd., India’s largest private port developer and part of the Adani Group, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Belgian Port of Zeebrugge to act as a strategic entry port for the lucrative European market. It will now collaborate with the Belgian port to explore joint business opportunities between the two ports along with other forms of trade, shipping, railway infrastructure across India and Europe. The MoU over a period of time will help in an enhanced movement of traffic to and from APSEZ into Europe and beyond.

To harmonise the procedures related to liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering in order to facilitate the acceptance of LNG bunker for shipping. To exchange information on matters related to LNG as a shipping fuel, such as LNG infrastructure, communication to stakeholders, accreditation of bunkering operators. To exchange information pertaining to bunkering procedures and regulatory framework. To identify common areas of interests to set up joint research and development programmes.